Scenario 1: The holidays are coming and the last thing you want is to buy your kid more stuff. Stuff that will hang out on his shelves for the next 6 months, untouched while he whines about there being nothing to doooooo. You feel a need to get him something, right? So what do you do?

Scenario 2: Your child LOVES to make stuff but unfortunately you were not gifted in the artsy and crafty department. Sure, you can look up ideas on blogs and spend the next week trying to gather all the materials to make them, but who has time or patience for that?

Solution: Green Kid Crafts. This eco-friendly subscription box is delivered to your doorstop once a month and in it has all the materials you need to make 3-4 creativity and STEM science projects, as well as a link to a 20 page downloadable extension activity guide.  Each box has a different theme—ranging from green energy to kitchen science to outer space. Subscriptions start from as low as $16.95 per box (sibling boxes are available as well) and are officially geared towards kids ages 3-10. In addition to subscriptions, they also sell individual boxes, in case you see a theme that your kid would go gaga for.

We were able to get a peek at one of the boxes and my kids had a super fun time being "mad scientists."

First, we made our own slime monsters, which, as you can imagine, was popular. Ooey gooey slime is incredibly fun for kids of all ages (ahem, even 30 somethings).

Next, we made a lava lamp. Not only was it an easy project to do, but it provided a great lesson on density. Oil rises to the top, but why? :)

Finally, we got to play with magnetic man. Pipe cleaners stick to this magnet man (well, we choose to make ours more like a dog), making silly hair.  After they were finished playing with it, I packed it up in a ziplock bag and threw it into our busy bag container. It's a great toy to take in the car or into a restaurant to play with while you wait. While these boxes are aimed at kids ages 3-10, I would say this particular box targeted the younger range of that.

Anyway, you'll just have to explore the website yourself to see all the fun kits they have. Be sure to check out their great blog that provides extension activities that you can do with the kits or own your own.  Follow them on FB , Twitter , or Pinterest (one of the top 100 pinners in the world!) to learn more, get some more craft ideas, and take advantage of their latest discount codes!

Thanks so much to Green Kid Crafts for allowing us to take a peek into these great boxes. We hope this resource is useful to you in the coming months as you are stuck indoors in the Wisconsin Wintery Wonderland or as you are shopping for gifts for the little ones in your life!